


Incomprehension

by phantomlistener



Category: Doctor Who
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-19
Updated: 2012-06-19
Packaged: 2017-11-08 02:45:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/438283
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phantomlistener/pseuds/phantomlistener
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Romana has never quite understood the Doctor. And yet there are times, brief moments, when she thinks that maybe she might.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Incomprehension

The Doctor infuriated her.  
  
More than that - he made her seethe with anger and annoyance, and on more than one occasion she'd wondered whether it would be more appropriate to return to Gallifrey and forget their travels.  
  
Take now, for example.  
  
He'd set the Tardis' controls without thinking, absently thrown the lever and then wandered over to finish his game of chess with K-9. Never mind that she was more than capable of being his opponent - and flying the Tardis, for that matter, although he refused to acknowledge it - but she knew for a fact that he had neither double-checked his co-ordinates with the stellar charts nor disengaged the brakes.  
  
"Romana, you're staring at me," he pronounced without looking up.  
  
"I am not," she said with dignity. "I am simply watching your game."  
  
"And staring."  
  
"I am not-" She broke off. The Doctor was not going to involve her in another one of his childish arguments - she absolutely refused to stoop to his level. "I think you should check your co-ordinates," she said instead.   
  
"Why on earth would I want to do that?" He frowned at the chessboard. "Hmm...maybe I should move my knight. And have you ever considered, Romana, that perhaps there's a reason I don't check my co-ordinates?"  
  
"I certainly can't think of one."  
  
The Doctor glanced briefly at her. "No, I don't suppose you can," he muttered under his breath, and turned his attention back to the game.  
  
His hand was hovering over the white queen when the Tardis shuddered violently. Romana grabbed the edge of the console to keep her balance. "Doctor...?"  
  
But somehow he was already beside her, his fingers playing over the console like a musician at his instrument, and she could only watch as he flicked lever after lever without any apparent motivation, grinning like a madman.  
  
Maybe he was a lunatic.  
  
There was no need for this last-minute saving of the day. His Tardis was ridiculous - a Police Box? Really? - and she could easily have repaired the chameleon circuit for him. With her eyes closed, most likely.  
  
She stood still amongst the chaos, just watching.  
  
If he did things the right way in the first place he wouldn't have these problems.  
  
And yet...she hadn't left, had she? She was still here.  
  
Why? Certainly not because of the eccentric Timelord she travelled with - that would never do, and besides, she'd never been one to need other people in order to be happy.  
  
When she looked up at him, he was smiling as if he knew a secret. "It's because it's fun," he said simply, and then he was back to dancing round the console, flipping switches as if his life depended on it.  
  
Despite herself, she moved closer. All things considered...perhaps it was.


End file.
